Day 288

[polariity]

Who: The Helmsman and you
Open: Open
When: Day 288
Where: By the entrance to the Skyway
What: The Helmsman ventures out and comes back with some shinies he's heard so much about.
Format: Any
Warnings: The usual difficulties that come with chatting it up with him

Regardless of the tension that's flared up because of recent discussions, it seems as though the Helmsman's schedule hasn't changed particularly greatly. Today, just like every other day, he ventures outwards from the Tower. Unlike every other day, however, he doesn't venture off onto Dragonfield or wander about the Bastion or lay face down on the grass. Instead, when he shows up again, it's from the direction of the Skyway and a bruise blossoming on one side of his face.

And then he lays down on the grass where anyone could step on him.

At least it's not just laying, this time. Sparks of red and blue lift up tiny little shards for him to inspect curiously. For anyone in the area, he's not hard to miss.

Comments

[polariity]

Parks? Oh. A city-person. He remembers how it was like to be that kind of troll, before he got trapped in that den of seawater and biowiring.

Another symbol, this time a question mark once more.

[bakegarasu]

"... Why? Oh. I was busy. My brother ran... an organization that did a lot of illegal things, and they needed someone to take out rivals."

He doesn't really care how bad that makes him sound. Whatever. People can make their own judgements. It doesn't matter to him.

[polariity]

If there's anyone who doesn't care, it's the Helmsman. There's just a shrug. Worst things happened on Alternia. What Otoha is describing is downright mild. Common sense, honestly, by Alternian standards.

But he still raises an eyebrow, the question mark shifting into a rapidly spinning clock. No time to even visit a park? Seriously?

[bakegarasu]

"I guess I could have, I just wasn't really interested. Most of the green spaces had temples all around them and I wasn't exactly interested for a long time."

He chuckles, amused at the thought. "Now I'm supposed to be protecting those kinds of places."

[polariity]

And the question mark again.

It's a bit of a change, after all, and he's moderately curious as to what brought it about. Taking out rivals for someone close to you, and then protecting temples, or whatever? It's quite a change.

[bakegarasu]

It's reasonable to question that kind of thing.

"I got recruited. Kind of. I would have died otherwise, so..."

He's still not sure if he's okay with it, but he can't exactly change it.

[polariity]

At 'recruited' and 'died otherwise', there's an ugly snort that has his nose wrinkle. Can it really be called that if there's no other choice?

[bakegarasu]

"... I don't really mind, I guess. It's just another job. And I've pretty much been trained as a weapon as long as I've been able to hold a sword."

His tone is casual enough, though he's starting to doubt the fact that he doesn't mind. He sort of does, now that he's seen there are options that aren't just for other people.

[polariity]

Yeah, that doesn't seem to be improving Psii's mood any. In fact, there's a low raspy growl starting up in his throat at the sound of it, eyes narrowing a bit while red-blue static starts up around his horns.

[bakegarasu]

... Huh. He blinks in confusion at the reaction. Did he say something that was so bad?

"I don't feel pain and I'm good at killing. It makes sense... I guess."

Would he be good at killing if he hadn't been born where he was? Maybe not... but it's what he is.

[polariity]

Apparently, yes, because Psii just makes another hissing noise.

No, he doesn't like that. At all.

[bakegarasu]

"It's who I've been my entire life."

It's... hard to just up and change that. So stop hissing, dammit!

[polariity]

Fuck you, Otoha, he'll hiss all he likes. After a second, however, he pauses and points at the bowl and towel he's still holding to his face.

[bakegarasu]

"... You should be okay for that now."

Probably. He's not totally sure, but that's his best guess.

[polariity]

He gives a shake of his head, mouth twisting a bit before he goes back to forming pictures in the air with his psi energy. It's hard to tell, but the little stick figure he makes with a shaggy mess of hair is supposed to represent Otoha- helping various other stick figures by putting towels on their faces and putting splints on arms and such.

A bit hard to tell all that, of course, because they are still just stick figures. But still.

[bakegarasu]

... Oh. He shrugs again. "The yokai called me 'Doctor Karas' - 'Karas' is my title as the city's protector. I made mixtures and did what I could, but I don't have any real medical training."

He can sew himself up, but he wouldn't really be comfortable doing that kind of thing on someone else.

[polariity]

Proper medical training... Actually matters? The Helmsman's expression goes blank at that, like he can't quite parse the idea. The fine art of bullshitting is one he remembers most of Alternia's healers being well versed in. Anything beyond that, and, well...

It usually wasn't for any altruistic cause.

[bakegarasu]

"... Not something that's real big where you're from, I'm guessing."

Most of what he knows about setting bones and stuff like that is from personal experience, which while it's useful for himself doesn't really work so well on people who can actually feel pain.

[polariity]

The shake of his head probably tells enough. However, he goes a bit further- energy forming scalpels and syringes. Accompanying this? A gesture to his face, where there are still scars woven across his face like vines along with pinpricks into a face areas around his eyes.

[bakegarasu]

"... Yeah, that's... not what doctors are like where I'm from. Not any of the ones that I've heard of. There's surgeons, but they try not to leave scars."

Maybe there were some more malevolent ones somewhere, but it's not like he'd have heard about them. Or cared, really. Not unless it was relevant.

[polariity]

Since meeting folks like Yukio and Ghaleon here, both who had helped treat his condition when he'd first arrived... The Helmsman supposes that if that sort of thing is actually normal on various other planets, than it would be a surprise for that.

Looks like Otoha has him thinking.

[bakegarasu]

He's quiet for a bit. It's clear this guy is thinking hard about something, so he doesn't really want to interrupt. Instead he shifts a bit and stretches out, just letting himself feel the sunshine. The grass kind of tickles, but it's a nice sensation.

... Maybe he should do this more often. He's not exactly a nature person, but he could get used to this.

[polariity]

Eventually, he lets up, if only because now he's tired of holding this towel to his face. It gets laid onto Otoha's chest, and the Helmsman tilts his head as he stares at him.

So what now? Is that it?

[bakegarasu]

... Okay.

"It should help reduce the swelling now that you've taken care of it." He picks the towel up and sets it aside.

"Were you planning on doing something else today?" Because he's bored, honestly.

[polariity]

Anything else? The Helmsman considers it before just glancing down to the shards. Beyond getting those...

His answer comes in the shake of his head. No, not really.